1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for and a method of shredding a product, and, in particular, to such an apparatus and method in which the product is shredded as it is moves around the inner periphery of a vertically-oriented housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the production of food products such as cheese, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, processed meats, and the like, it is often desired to cut the product into slices, strips, shreds, dices, or other forms. In the cheese industry especially, customers demand a wide variety of cuts. For example, some customers want slices, others want strips or shreds, while still others prefer dices. To serve a full range of customers, cheese producers must have the ability to meet these varying demands. One commercial machine designed for this purpose is described below with reference to FIGS. 1-3.
In FIG. 1, a known commercial machine, referred to as a xe2x80x9cprior art vertical feed machine,xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cPAVFMxe2x80x9d for short, is designated generally by reference numeral 100. The PAVFM includes a frame 102, on which a stationary, generally cylindrical, vertically-oriented slicing case 104 is mounted. By xe2x80x9cvertically-orientedxe2x80x9d it is meant that the slicing case 104 is oriented such that its cylindrical axis is substantially horizontal. As seen in FIG. 2, the slicing case 104 has an open front face, a rear wall 106, and a sidewall 108 with a substantially smooth inner surface. A feed hopper 110, shown in FIG. 1, is aligned with the open front face of the slicing case 104 for delivering a product to be cut to the slicing case interior. The slicing case 104 has an internal diameter of approximately 12xe2x80x3 and a depth (i.e., the width of the sidewall 108) of approximately 4xc2xcxe2x80x3. As shown in FIG. 2, knife holder 118 and a knife clamp 120 secure a straight-edge slicing knife 116 within the slicing case 104. The slicing case sidewall 108 includes an opening 112, and a portion of the sidewall 108 adjacent to the opening 112 and across from the slicing knife 116 forms an adjustable case gate 114. By turning an adjustment knob 122 of a slice adjustment assembly 124, the case gate 114 can be moved radially inward and outward to vary the width of the opening 112. Changing the width of the opening 112 varies slice thickness.
An impeller 126 is mounted within the slicing case 104 for rotation in a counterclockwise direction, indicated by arrow A in FIG. 3, about a substantially horizontal axis. The impeller 126 is bolted to a drive shaft 128 that extends through a central opening (not shown) in the rear wall 106 of the slicing case 104. As shown in FIG. 2, the impeller 126 comprises a disc-shaped base plate 128, a flat, ring-shaped plate 130, and four circumferentially-spaced paddles 132 that are fitted between the disc-shaped base plate 128 and the ring-shaped plate 130.
An auxiliary cutting assembly 134, shown in FIG. 3, is provided beneath the opening 112 in the slicing case 104. The auxiliary cutting assembly 134 includes a feed drum 136, a feed spindle 138, circular knives 140, shear plates 142, and crosscut knives 144. The feed drum 136 is mounted for rotation in a counterclockwise direction, indicated by arrow B, beneath a chute 146 leading from the opening 112 in the slicing case 104. The feed spindle 138 is mounted opposite the feed drum 136 for rotation in a clockwise direction, indicated by arrow C. After slices 170 are cut by the slicing knife 116 and discharged through the opening 112, the feed drum 136 and the feed spindle 138 together convey the slices 170 to the circular knives 140, which further cut the slices 170 into strips 180. The circular knives 140 rotate in a clockwise direction, indicated by arrow D. Shear plates 142 are interposed between the circular knives 140 for holding the strips 180 as they are cut into dices 190 by the crosscut knives 144, which rotate in a counterclockwise direction, indicated by arrow E. A discharge chute 148 directs the dices 190 to a conveyor (not shown) or the like.
The PAVFM typically is equipped with either a 5 or 7xc2xd horsepower motor 150, shown in FIG. 1, for simultaneously driving rotation of both the impeller 126 and the moving parts of the auxiliary cutting assembly 134. However, the PAVFM can be modified by providing separate motors for independently driving the impeller 126 and the auxiliary cutting assembly 134. For example, a 15 horsepower motor can be used to drive the impeller 126, and a 10 horsepower motor can be used to drive the auxiliary cutting assembly 134. This particular two-motor configuration is referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cmodified PAVFM.xe2x80x9d Unless the context indicates otherwise, use of the term xe2x80x9cPAVFMxe2x80x9d hereafter encompasses both unmodified and modified PAVFMs.
The operation of the PAVFM next will be described primarily with reference to FIG. 3. Blocks of cheese 160, for example, are fed through the feed hopper 110 to the interior of the slicing case 104, where they are collected by the impeller paddles 132 for movement therewith around the inner periphery of the slicing case 104. Centrifugal force ensures that one face of each of the cheese blocks 160 remains in sliding contact with the inner periphery of the slicing case 104 throughout the entire revolution of the impeller 126. That face is referred to herein as the xe2x80x9couter face.xe2x80x9d As a cheese block 160 approaches the slicing knife 116, the case gate 114 allows the block 160 to move radially outward a preselected distance before the leading edge of the block 160 contacts the cutting edge of the slicing knife 116. A slice 170 is cut from the outer face of the cheese block 160 as the impeller paddle 132 pushes it past the slicing knife 116. The slice 170 slides down the chute 146 and onto the revolving feed drum 136, which, together with the feed spindle 138, conveys the slice 170 to the circular knives 140. The circular knives 140 then cut the slice 170 into strips 180, after which the rotating crosscut knives 144 further cut the strips 180 into dices 190.
In the mode of operation described above, the PAVFM produces a diced final product. The PAVFM can be adapted to produce strips or shreds by removing the crosscut knives 144, or it can be adapted to produce slices by removing the entire auxiliary cutting assembly 134. The PAVFM is capable of making products having a thickness between {fraction (1/16)}xe2x80x3 and xe2x85x9cxe2x80x3, a width between xe2x85x9xe2x80x3 and 1xe2x80x3, and a length between {fraction (1/16)}xe2x80x3 and 3xe2x80x3. The size of the final product can be varied by adjusting the slice thickness, changing the spacing between circular knives 140, and/or changing the spacing between crosscut knives 144.
Tables 1-3 list production rate data for three different cuts of cheese typically made with the PAVFMxe2x80x94a standard shred, a standard dice, and a long thin shred. For each type of cut, the input product is a block of mozzarella cheese, xc2xexe2x80x3 thick by 2xe2x80x3 wide by 2xe2x80x3 long. The cheese is unfrozen and at a temperature of about 32-38xc2x0 F. In each example, the impeller 126 is driven at approximately 450 RPM, the feed drum 136 and circular knives 140 are driven at approximately 900 RPM, and the feed spindle 138 and crosscut knives 144 are driven at approximately 2463 RPM. At impeller speeds greater than 450 RPM, the cheese tends to crumple or collapse as it passes through the cutting knives.
As shown in Tables 1-3, the maximum output of the PAVFM for standard shreds and dices is limited to approximately 1800 pounds per hour, while for long thin shreds the maximum output is only about 950-1000 pounds for hour. The modified PAVFM performs significantly better, but still is limited to approximately 3400 pounds per hour for standard shreds and dices and about 1800 pounds per hour for long thin shreds.
The PAVFM is further limited in that it cannot handle frozen or semi-frozen products, as such products can cause damage to the cutting knives. Consequently, the PAVFM is poorly suited for cutting cheese having a high-fat or high-moisture content, which generally is too soft and fragile to cut unless it is in a frozen or semi-frozen state.
Yet another shortcoming of the PAVFM is its inability to produce a particular long, thin, crescent-shaped shred of cheese that is especially desirable to retail sellers of pizza. This shred is approximately {fraction (1/16)}xe2x80x3 thick by xe2x85x9xe2x80x3 wide, and ranges in length between 1xc2xdxe2x80x3 and 3. The shred is curved across its width, giving it a generally crescent-shaped cross section, such as shown in FIG. 4. Although the PAVFM can produce a long thin shred with comparable dimensions, it is unable to produce a shred having this unique crescent shape. Moreover, the multiple cuts required to make a long thin shred with the PAVFM often result in a substandard product with a low percentage of quality shreds mixed together with many small broken pieces. In addition to the crescent-shaped shred, there are many other commercially desirable shreds that the PAVFM cannot make, such as a shaved shred, for example. The shaved shred is {fraction (1/32)}xe2x80x3 thick by {fraction (1/32)}xe2x80x3 wide by xc2xdxe2x80x3 long, and is popular in the fast food industry.
Previously, to make a long, thin, crescent-shaped shred, shaved shred, or the like, cheese producers had to use a different commercial machine, referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cprior art horizontal feed shredder,xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cPAHFSxe2x80x9d for short. The PAHFS is described below with reference to FIGS. 5-7.
In FIG. 5, the PAHFS is designated generally by reference numeral 200. The PAHFS includes a feed hopper assembly 202 having a feed opening 108, a lower discharge chute 204, and a stationary, generally cylindrical, horizontally-oriented cutting head assembly 206. The cutting head assembly 206 is housed within the space defined by the feed hopper assembly 202 and lower discharge chute 204. By xe2x80x9chorizontally-orientedxe2x80x9d it is meant that the cutting head assembly 206 is oriented such that its cylindrical axis is substantially vertical. The cutting head assembly 206 includes an upper support ring 210 having multiple cutting heads 212 mounted therearound in an end-to-end arrangement. In the embodiment shown, the cutting head assembly 206 has eight cutting heads 212. The upper support ring 210 and cutting heads 212 are mounted on a cutting head support 214, which in turn is rigidly mounted with respect to a frame 216. The cutting head assembly 206 has an internal diameter of approximately 14xe2x80x3 and a depth of approximately 4.18xe2x80x3.
Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, each cutting head 212 includes a shoe 220 and a corrugated knife 218 that is clamped to the leading edge of the shoe 220 by a knife clamp 222, a knife holder 224, and a plurality of screws 226. Alternating parallel ridges 228 and grooves 230 are formed on the side of the shoe 220 that faces the interior of the cutting head assembly 206.
The PAHFS further includes an impeller 232 mounted within the cutting head assembly 206 for rotation in a clockwise direction, indicated by arrow F in FIG. 7, about a substantially vertical axis. The impeller 232 is coupled to an impeller drive assembly 234 through an opening (not shown) in the cutting head support 214. The impeller 232 includes a disc-shaped base plate 236 and a ring-shaped upper plate 238, with five circumferentially-spaced paddles 240 fitted therebetween. Either a 5 or 7xc2xd horsepower motor 242 is coupled to the impeller drive assembly 234 for rotating the impeller 232.
The operation of the PAHFS is described below with primary reference to FIG. 7. Blocks of mozzarella cheese 260, for example, are fed through the feed opening 208 of the feed hopper assembly 202 to the interior of the cutting head assembly 206, where, due to rotation of the impeller 232, they are propelled outward and slid around the inner periphery of the stationary cutting head assembly 206. As an impeller paddle 240 pushes the cheese block 260 past a corrugated knife 218, a plurality of shreds 270 are cut from the outer face of the block 260. The shreds 270 fall into the lower discharge chute 204, which directs the shreds 270 to a conveyor (not shown) or the like.
In the mode of operation described above, the PAHFS produces shreds, but it also can be adapted to produce slices by widening the space between adjacent cutting heads. The PAHFS is unable, however, to produce dices.
Tables 4-6 list production rate data for three different cuts of cheese that can be made with the PAHFSxe2x80x94the standard shred and long thin shred discussed above in connection with the PAVFM, as well as a long, thin, crescent-shaped shred. For each type of cut, the input product is a block of mozzarella cheese, anywhere from 2xe2x80x3-4xe2x80x3 thick by 2xe2x80x3-4xe2x80x3 wide. The cheese is unfrozen and at a temperature of about 32-38xc2x0 F. Because the PAHFS does not make transverse cuts, the length of the input product is the same as the length of the output product. In each example, the impeller is driven at approximately 450 RPM.
With a maximum product output of up to 3600 pounds per hour for standard shreds, the PAHPS is only marginally better than the modified PAVFM in terms of production for that type of cut. For long thin shreds the output of the PAHFS drops to about 1000-1200 pounds per hour, slightly better than the PAVFM, but less than the output of the modified PAVFM. The maximum output for the long, thin, crescent-shaped shred is only about 1000-1200 pounds per hour.
The inventors believe that the behavior of the cheese blocks once inside the cutting head assembly 206 limits the efficiency of the PAHFS. When cheese blocks are fed to the cutting head assembly 206, they momentarily spin, much like a top, near the center of the impeller base plate 236, before being propelled outward toward the inner surface of the cutting head assembly 206. Invariably, it appears, the cheese blocks are propelled toward the same segment of the cutting head assembly 206. That segment typically ranges from about xe2x85x9 to about ⅓ of the circumference of the cutting head assembly. This can lead to an uneven distribution of cheese blocks among the impeller paddles 240. Further, the inventors have observed that most of the time only the bottom half of the knives 218 are actually used to shred the cheese blocks, presumably because the cheese blocks tend to settle near the horizontal base plate 236 of the impeller 232. Not only does this result in a failure to utilize the entire available cutting area, but it can also contribute to an unwanted buildup of cheese blocks within the cutting head assembly 206.
The physical design of the discharge chute 204 further limits the maximum output of the PAHFS. At outputs higher than approximately 3600 pounds per hour, shreds are cut faster than they can exit the discharge chute 204, resulting in an accumulation of shreds around the cutting head assembly 206, especially in the area above the horizontal portion of the housing that surrounds the impeller drive assembly 234. As a result, the openings between adjacent cutting heads 212 become obstructed and cheese blocks begin to pile up in the cutting head assembly 206. Failure to promptly shut down the PAHFS and remove the excess cheese can cause complete blockage of or damage to the machine. For {fraction (1/16)}xe2x80x3 or thinner shreds having a length of 3xe2x80x3 or more, this same problem can occur at outputs as low as 1000 pounds per hour.
Apart from the shortcomings of the PAVFM and PAHES individually, the need for multiple machines to meet varying customer demands is in itself a major source of inefficiency. Separate machines require a larger initial outlay of capital, they nearly double maintenance and repair costs, and they occupy more than twice the amount of space in a production facility than would a single machine with the functionality of both the PAVFM and the PAHFS.
The present invention addresses the foregoing shortcomings in the art by providing an improved shredding assembly, referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cvertical feed shredder,xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cVFSxe2x80x9d for short, suitable for installation in an existing PAVFM, preferably an already modified PAVFM, or for incorporation in an independent machine.
The VFS is fully interchangeable with the present PAVFM slicing case and impeller and requires just a few modifications to the existing PAVFM frame and driving mechanism for implementation. Equipped with the VFS, the PAVFM is converted into a machine capable of producing long, thin, crescent-shaped shreds and other types of shreds that the PAVFM alone cannot make, as well as efficiently handling frozen or semi-frozen cheese. The PAVFM slicing case and impeller easily can be reinstalled whenever it is desired to operate the PAVFM in its conventional manner. Given the added versatility imparted to the PAVFM by the VFS, the PABFS is no longer needed, freeing up valuable production facility space and reducing maintenance and repair costs. Significantly, the cost to retrofit a PAVFM with the VFS is less than one half the cost of a new PAHFS.
Surprisingly, the inventors found that by retrofitting a modified PAVFM with the VFS, product output for the standard shred increased nearly threefold compared to the modified PAVFM alone and the PAHFS, and approximately fourfold compared to the non-modified PAVFM. Even more dramatically, product output for the long thin shred was nearly five times higher with the VFS than with the non-modified PAVFM and the PAHFS and more than three times higher than with the modified PAVFM alone. Product output for the long, thin, crescent-shaped shred was found to be approximately five times higher with the VFS than with the PAHFS. Remarkably, the VFS achieves these higher outputs with just two blades, as compared to eight knives in the PAHFS, and more than 80 knives in the PAVFM.
By incorporating the VFS in an independent, standalone machine, as opposed to using it as a retrofit for an existing PAVFM, an even more astounding increase in production can be achieved. For example, the inventors have found that a single VFS standalone machine with an internal housing diameter of approximately 24xe2x80x3, when used to shred mozzarella cheese, can produce more than 28,000 pounds per hour of standard shreds, more than 24,000 pounds per hour of long thin shreds, and more than 18,000 pounds per hour of long, thin, crescent-shaped shreds. A single VFS standalone machine thus is able to match the production of upwards of at least half a dozen prior art machines.
In the description and claims that follow, the present invention is discussed broadly in terms of cutting or shredding a xe2x80x9cproduct.xe2x80x9d As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cproductxe2x80x9d refers generally to a product that can be cut, for example a food product such as cheese, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, processed meats, and the like. Depending on the context, the term xe2x80x9cproductxe2x80x9d may refer to either one or a plurality of pieces, such as one or more blocks of cheese. In a preferred embodiment, the product is mozzarella cheese that is in either a frozen or semi-frozen state. As used herein, xe2x80x9cfrozenxe2x80x9d with respect to mozzarella cheese means cheese that is at a temperature below about 22xc2x0 F., and xe2x80x9csemi-frozenxe2x80x9d means cheese that is at temperature between about 22xc2x0 F. to about 30xc2x0 F.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for shredding a product. The apparatus includes a housing and an impeller rotatably mounted within the housing. Preferably, the housing is cylindrical and has a first face that is at least partially open, a second face that may be open or closed, and a cylindrical sidewall. The inner periphery of the cylindrical sidewall bounds the interior of the housing.
The impeller includes one or more paddles for directing the product around the inner periphery of the housing as the impeller rotates. As few as one impeller paddle could be used, but preferably a plurality of impeller paddles are employed. The maximum number of impeller paddles that can be used depends on the size of the housing and the size of the input product; there must be sufficient space for the input product to nest along the inner periphery of the housing between adjacent impeller paddles.
The apparatus further includes means for feeding the product to the interior of the housing. The feeding means preferably is a feed hopper aligned with an opening in the first face of the housing, but the feeding means can also be any number of other known devices, such as a conveyor, funnel, chute, or other structure capable of delivering the product to the interior of the housing. The particular feeding means employed is not critical to the apparatus of the present invention.
The apparatus additionally includes means for rotating the impeller so as to direct the product around the inner periphery of the housing. Preferably, the impeller is coupled to a rotary shaft through an opening in the second face of the housing. The rotary shaft, in turn, can be coupled to a motor via a conventional arrangement of pulleys, belts, shafts, and gears. The particular means used to rotate the impeller is not critical to the apparatus of the present invention. Various other arrangements utilizing well-known components, such as motors, pulleys, belts, shafts, gears, chains, sprockets, or the like, would also be suitable.
The rotating means should be configured to rotate the impeller about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation. That is, the axis of rotation should be closer to horizontal than it is to vertical, and oriented such that gravity will have a negligible influence on where along an individual impeller paddle the product is carriedxe2x80x94i.e., whether on the left, the right, or in the middle. In other words, the product, upon being fed to the housing, will migrate relatively uniformly across the length of the impeller paddles, as opposed to settling near one side thereof, as in the PAHFS. The inventors expect that those skilled in the art will be able to design machines with impellers having axes of rotation that are not strictly horizontal, and that in these machines gravity likewise will have a negligible influence on where along the impeller paddles the product is carried. For example, the inventors believe that an impeller whose axis of rotation is within 30 degrees of horizontal would be suitable, even though productivity may decrease slightly as the axis becomes more upright. The phrase xe2x80x9csubstantially horizontal axis of rotation,xe2x80x9d as it is used with respect to the impeller, is intended to cover all such designs, provided, of course, the axis of rotation is closer to horizontal than it is to vertical.
The apparatus also includes means for cutting a plurality of shreds from a surface of the product facing the inner periphery of the housing, and means by which the plurality of shreds are discharged from the housing. The cutting means can comprise one or more cutting implements, such as blades, knives, or the like. Preferably, each cutting implement is preceded by a contoured segment of the inner periphery of the housing. The contoured segment(s) can be formed integrally with the housing sidewall, or as separate plates for insertion in the housing. A cutting implement is said to be xe2x80x9cprecededxe2x80x9d by a contoured segment if the product normally travels past the segment before reaching the cutting implement, without passing by another contoured segment or cutting implement in the meantime. Conversely, a cutting implement is said to be xe2x80x9cfollowedxe2x80x9d by a contoured segment if the product normally travels past the cutting implement before reaching the segment, without passing by another contoured segment or cutting implement in the meantime.
In one preferred embodiment, an even number of cutting implements, are disposed along the inner periphery of the housing. Each cutting implement has a contoured cutting edge, and each is preceded and followed by a contoured segment. An opening is provided in the sidewall of the housing between each cutting implement and the contoured segment that precedes it. Preferably, the segment contours comprise alternating parallel ridges and grooves that extend in the direction in which the product travels around the inner periphery of the housing. The segment contours can be any shape, such as triangular, square, curved, sinusoidal, etc. Preferably, the segment contours are the same shape as the cutting implement contours, and the contours of the segment that follows each cutting implement are aligned with the contours of the cutting implement that the segment follows, and the contours of the segment that precedes each cutting implement are offset relative to the contours of the cutting implement that the segment precedes. By xe2x80x9calignedxe2x80x9d it is meant that the segment contours line up exactly with the cutting implement contours. That is, assuming the contours of both the segment and cutting implement consist of triangular ridges and grooves, if a circumferential path around the inner periphery of the housing passes over the apex of a ridge on the cutting implement, then it will also pass over the apex of a ridge on the contoured segment that follows the cutting implement. If the contours are not substantially aligned, then they are said to be xe2x80x9coffset.xe2x80x9d
In accordance with this embodiment, a product to be shred is fed to the interior of the housing, where it is collected by an impeller paddle for sliding travel therewith around the inner periphery of the housing. As the impeller paddle pushes the product past a cutting implement, a plurality of shreds are cut from the product and discharged through an opening in the sidewall of the housing between the cutting implement and the contoured segment that precedes it. The next contoured segment helps guide the product to the next cutting implement, whereupon more shreds are cut from the product. This repeats for each successive cutting implement, until the product is substantially completely shredded, which may take several revolutions around the housing.
As those in the cheese-making industry will appreciatexe2x80x94especially those familiar with the PAHFSxe2x80x94any number of cutting implement configurations can be utilized, depending upon the type of cut desired. All that is necessary is that the cutting implement be shaped and positioned such that a plurality of shreds are cut from the product as it passes by the cutting implement. The precise configuration of the cutting implement can vary, depending upon such factors as the type of product to be cut, the shape of the outer face of the product when it reaches the cutting implement, and the style of shred desired. Moreover, several different cutting implements and contoured segments can be simultaneously employed in the apparatus, for instance, if it is desired to make a product comprising a mixed variety of cuts.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a shredding apparatus includes a housing with an impeller mounted for rotation therein. An interior space of the housing is bounded by a generally cylindrical sidewall. The apparatus additionally includes a feed hopper and a driving mechanism, coupled to the impeller, for rotating the impeller about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation. A product to be shred is fed through the feed hopper to the interior space of the housing, where an impeller paddle directs the product around the inner periphery of the housing. The sidewall of the housing includes at least one contoured segment, and the housing further includes a contoured cutting implement that follows the contoured segment. An opening is provided in the sidewall of the housing between the contoured segment and the cutting implement that follows it. Preferably, the contours of the cutting implement are different from the contours of the segment that the cutting implement follows. By xe2x80x9cdifferentxe2x80x9d it is meant that the cutting implement contours have a different size and/or shape than, and/or are offset relative to, the contours of the segment that the cutting implement follows.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a shredder housing suitable for use in a cutting apparatus. The shredder housing either can be permanently affixed in the cutting apparatus or it can be removable. Preferably, the shredder housing is interchangeable with another housing. The shredder housing includes a generally vertically-oriented, preferably cylindrical case. By xe2x80x9cgenerally vertically-orientedxe2x80x9d it is meant that the case is oriented such that its cylindrical axis is substantially horizontal, and such that a product to be cut will travel around the case in a substantially vertical plane. A peripheral wall, including at least one corrugated segment, bounds an interior space of the case. The corrugations of the segment preferably comprise alternating ridges and grooves running in the direction in which the product travels around the case. The shredder housing further comprises a cutting implement with a corrugated cutting edge that is mounted across an opening in the peripheral wall of the case from the corrugated segment. Preferably, the corrugations of the cutting implement are different than the corrugations of the segment that precedes it.
In a further aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus having interchangeable first and second cutting assemblies. By xe2x80x9cinterchangeablexe2x80x9d it is meant that any one of two or more cutting assemblies can be used with the apparatus. According to this aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes means for supplying a product to be cut to a selected one of the first and second cutting assemblies, whichever is currently installed in the apparatus. Preferably, the supplying means comprises a feed hopper that is aligned with an opening in the selected cutting assembly, but the supplying means also can be any number of other known devices, such as a conveyor, funnel, chute, or other structure capable of delivering the product to the selected cutting assembly.
The first cutting assembly includes a housing having an interior where the product is received from the supplying means. The housing interior is bounded by a substantially smooth inner periphery. The first cutting assembly further includes an impeller rotatably mounted within the housing for sliding the product around the inner periphery of the housing, means for cutting slices from the product as the impeller slides it around the housing, and means by which the slices are discharged from the housing. Here, the cutting means can be a cutting implement such as a blade, knife, or the like, preferably with a straight cutting edge. The means by which the slices are discharged from the housing can be an opening in the housing adjacent to the cutting means. An example of the first cutting assembly is the slicing case and impeller assembly conventionally utilized in the PAVFM, described above.
The second cutting assembly includes a housing having an interior for receiving the product from the supplying means and an impeller rotatably mounted within the housing. The housing interior is bounded by an inner periphery. The impeller includes one or more impeller paddles for sliding the product around the inner periphery of the housing as the impeller rotates. The second cutting assembly additionally includes means for cutting a plurality of shreds from the resulting contoured face of the product as the impeller slides the product around the inner periphery of the housing, and means by which the plurality of shreds are discharged from the housing.
The apparatus according to this aspect of the present invention further includes means for rotating the impeller of the selected cutting assembly about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation. The rotating means can comprise a motor coupled to the impeller via a known arrangement pulleys, belts, shafts, gears, chains, sprockets, or the like. Preferably, the rotating means comprises a reversible motor that rotates the impeller in one direction when the first cutting assembly is installed, and in an opposite direction when the second cutting assembly is installed.
Optionally, the apparatus can be provided with auxiliary cutting means for cutting the slices after they are discharged from the housing of the first cutting assembly. The auxiliary cutting means is operable in conjunction with the first cutting assembly, but not with the second cutting assembly. That is, when the second cutting assembly is installed in the apparatus, the auxiliary cutting means is not used. The auxiliary cutting means can comprise circular knives for cutting the slices into strips, and, if desired, crosscut knives for cutting the strips into dices. An example of the auxiliary cutting means is the auxiliary cutting assembly described above in connection with the PAVFM. If an auxiliary cutting means is provided, the apparatus should be equipped with means for driving the auxiliary cutting means. The driving means can comprise a motor coupled to the auxiliary cutting means via a known arrangement pulleys, belts, shafts, gears, chains, sprockets, or the like. The driving means and the rotating means can comprise the same motor, but preferably comprise separate motors.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of retrofitting a cutting apparatus with a shredder assembly in order to enable the cutting apparatus to make cuts that it could not otherwise make without the shredder assembly. The term xe2x80x9ccutsxe2x80x9d in this context refers to specific types of cuts, e.g., crescent-shaped shreds, long thing shreds, standard shreds, etc., as well as general types of cuts, e.g., slices, shreds, dices, etc. According to this method, an existing generally vertically-oriented housing and impeller, such as conventionally utilized in the PAVFM, are detached from the cutting apparatus. A shredder assembly including a generally vertically-oriented housing, a cutting implement, and an impeller then is installed in the cutting apparatus. The inner periphery of the shredder assembly housing includes at least one corrugated segment. The cutting implement is also corrugated, and is secured to the inner periphery of the housing across an opening therein from the corrugated segment. The impeller is mounted within the housing and coupled to a driving mechanism that rotates the impeller within the housing. Optionally, the direction in which the driving mechanism rotates the impeller can be reversed. Preferably, the method according to this aspect of the present invention is reversible, so that the shredder assembly can be detached and the previous housing and impeller can be reinstalled.
In still another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of shredding a product. In accordance with this method, the product is fed to an interior of a housing that has an impeller mounted for rotation therein. The impeller is rotated about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation at a speed sufficient to force the product against the inner periphery of the housing, into sliding engagement therewith, throughout each revolution of the impeller. As the impeller slides the product along the inner periphery of the housing, a plurality of shreds are cut from the outer face of the product. The shreds thereafter are discharged from the housing.